How to SET UP Bestway, Intex, Coleman ABOVE GROUND POOL, start to finish!

[@_dakota_298]

That is a brilliant idea putting the Insulation Foam on the bottom.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

👍 Cost me about $200 but well worth it.

[@BibleBearsDen]

Love this video! Fixing to install a 16' round pool.. working on getting the ground level.. thanks for the tips!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Good luck! Take your time and do it right and you'll be happy with it!

[@danielemarrella1259]

​@FixEverythingYourself do you get any rain water pooling around the pool where you dug out the higher side?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Yes, a little from time to time. Also happens when kids are splashing a lot of water out of the pool. To the extent I can I've dug a small drainage path away from those locations. But I don't really care about it because the pool is meant to have water on it, the ground is meant to have water on it, and the only other part exposed is the foam. And I'm just not worried about the foam, either.

[@danielemarrella1259]

@FixEverythingYourself Awesome! Tanks for the quick reply. I just completed leveling the dirt, and it's deep on the one side like yours, as our yard has a big slope. I was worried about water sitting around the tiles and eventually sinking. Will be setting up the pool todau.

[@sureshot311]

Thank you so much for this video. The tips and your process are genius. Im going to be following your model. Im excited now to start. I just started digging. Any other tips or suggestions besides a better filter? Thank you!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thank you! Good luck when you put yours up. A sand filter is the next thing I'd recommend, then a skimmer. A skimmer will clean the surface of the pool automatically without having to constantly use a net. I have a video on how to install one.

[@jeremygrab7548]

How has everything held up to this point? My concern with the padding is the amount of flow. Ive read that you want water and air to pass through to help with longevity of the liner. Like a comment earlier, if the pad is soaking up any water, does it affect the lining? and smells now? Great Video by the way. I just finished leveling my ground and about to put it up.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

It's been a year-plus now. No problems with the liner or the foam. Of course, the foam is under all that water so I can't really inspect it but it has held up fine. My biggest concern is the lousy pump that comes with these. I've already upgraded to a sand filter and am much happier (and have a lot more time vs. cleaning the paper filter).

[@maelizama4877]

I put about 3" of water in my pool. I believe there's a leak or two. I think is where the wall and floor seam is. Any suggestions on how to mend this? Your video is great. Thanks!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Your pool should've come with a small patch-repair kit. It's a couple of pieces of square material along with a tube of glue of some sort. If not, you can buy vinyl repair kits online or at Lowes or Walmart. $10 or so. The repair kits work underwater, too, so you probably don't need to drain any water to make them work. Good luck!

[@jerryparker3241]

I used water to help me level the pool, to show me the high and low spots. Should I wait for the ground to dry completely before putting down the foam

[@FixEverythingYourself]

If it's super muddy, probably. If it's just damp, it'll probably be fine. But if you're not in a hurry, drier ground is probably better than wet.

[@bikerboyhd01]

Does the tiles for the legs need to be 1 inch thick to match the foam?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

In theory, yes, but in practice, no. The pool is one big vinyl bag so it'll sit wherever you put it. In other words, tile thickness makes no difference.

[@lesley-anngrant60]

Thank you for your video it helped us out with what to put under the pool. Thanks from Australia

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great! Good luck and I hope you have a great summer!

[@AngelaFavors-p3o]

How to set up canopy for best way pools

[@stevenharmatuk939]

How did you fill it you have a well or city water people are telling me my well pump will burn up

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I have a well. I filled it up over the course of about a week, I think. I was worried about the same thing so just let it run a couple of hours per day. Didn't take more than a week.

[@Drayelam21]

I just set up this pool. Had to dig a big hole for this pool with a shovel by myself and leveled as best as I can which I think it’s not perfect. If I use my level so make sure legs are 90 degrees and and are level including the top of pool you think it’ll be alright even if where the actually liner sights isn’t perfect? Just worried about it being unlevel

[@Drayelam21]

It’s day 7 of doing this. Ton of work to do by yourself

[@FixEverythingYourself]

We dug ours by hand, too. Ours isn't perfectly level even though I thought it was close. Turns out I'm about 2 inches off from one side to the other. My brother has a nearly identical pool and did his by hand. He's very handy and also ended up a tiny bit uneven. If you've been diligent about making it level - and it sounds like you have - the pool will be totally fine. I've had mine for a year with no problems.

[@kathyr.6825]

I’m doing this myself as well 😢… so difficult but maybe I’m making it more so… 😮

[@Billy-e1r]

How did the foam board hold up

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Perfectly. Haven't had any problems. It provides a firm but still soft surface for feet when walking in the pool.

[@ricardogriffiths1889]

Thats lie i learned u have to use sand U cant have it sit on bear dirt u have to add sand and tamp it with a machine

[@FixEverythingYourself]

No one is lying. I'm in year 3. Pool and bottom are in perfect condition.

[@d3y551]

Awesome video very informative. Just bought tarp and foam and Will be digging and hopefully installing. No tarp under the foam?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks! No, nothing under the foam. We did make sure to pick up as many rocks as we could before putting the foam down but that doesn't have to be perfect. Also, you don't need the ground sunken in where the pool goes. In fact, you just want it level but no deeper, if possible. Otherwise, you have to dig a little trench for water to drain away.

[@d3y551]

@@FixEverythingYourself Thanks for the fast reply and i did install a pool last year and was pretty level i was going to dig 1" since the foam is 1" but maybe no I won't i can just add 1" pavers for the feet of the pool im thinking

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I see what you mean. I don't think it makes any difference if the feet of the posts aren't exactly perfect. But the 1" pavers will be good as long as they don't touch the vinyl part of the pool (and accidentally rip it).

[@raymondromero2840]

The tile that you used in the video made contact with the liner and riped after some time? Would you recomend tarp or tape to ease the rubbing?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

@raymondromero2840 I would move the tile (or cut the tile or whatever) to completely eliminate the rubbing. I think even with tape or some other fabric if the tile is touching it, it'll rip again.

[@w8n4theboat]

GREAT job !!! I want to get a rooster now !! Love them. Lolo,

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😂😂

[@MC-bj6kr]

Thank you this was a really instructive video and much appreciated.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Great!

[@ryanglover919]

How do you know if they small hole in the leg posts goes twords the top instead of bottom??

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I don't remember the holes you mentioned. Are the sizes of the tapered ends any different? I don't think it makes any difference on the holes.

[@Helloskyyt321]

Ok this foam board is absolutely genius ! We use sand but you can never get it completed wrinkle free. Wish I had watched this video before spending $300 in sand 🤦🏼‍♀️ I’m sure the foam board was much more cost effective!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I spent about $200 for the 1" foam, so a little cheaper but not a lot!

[@landoflakes92]

Could've just used a thick tarp..... around 50 bucks or so

[@kathyr.6825]

Lol I’ve used foam board… 2 tons of sand andddd a tarp!! 😮finally we are filling er up!!

[@araceliarte85]

We bought gym mat puzzle pieces. It was almost 300 dollars, but we have reused them 3 times already.

[@scupking]

I have the same pool that I will be setting up soon. Ground is getting leveled tomorrow. Interesting you used tiles under the legs. How is that holding up? I was going to use 12x12 pavers but maybe tiles would be better as they are low profile..

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Tiles have held up well. The ground was firm and compacted before I put them down, so that has kept them intact. The concern I had with pavers is what you mentioned: a high profile. I didn't want them puncturing the vinyl pool wall.

[@MelodylaneLou]

Boys happy to help dig! LOL. I hope you took them to Golden corral! LOL. That’s a lot of work.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

It definitely was a lot of digging!

[@AmberCoffey-hw8ks]

My 13ft x 42” pool did not come with the A valve like that. So I just spent a good half an hour trying to setup the sand filter pump and need to find a valve asap. So frustrating.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Geez, that's frustrating. You could call the manufacturer and I'm sure they'd send you a new part. Not sure how long that will take but I'd try that first. Here's a link to the same one as on my pool: amzn.to/3r0D89T

[@ricardom8560]

Your pool looks great, I just started digging to install ours but i was planning on using sand , until I saw your video, my question is, do you have any foul smells from under due to foam material not being breathable?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

No, no smells or any other problems from the foam. Works great, actually. It's firm enough for walking on but just soft enough to provide a tiny bit of cushioning.

[@zstrode.8953]

I use sad always never a problem

[@ToyReviewsAndUnboxing]

How exactly did you flatten out the bottom with 1 inch of water? I tried once and it was hard.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I had some helpers but tried to flatten it with as little water as possible.

[@paulgipson5375]

How long did it take to fill up the pool?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I'm on a well and filled it for a few hours each day. But if I filled it all at once, it probably would've taken 18 hours or so.

[@jamiejohnson9197]

Can I put the foam on grass or do I need to dig?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

It can go on grass but it's important that the ground be pretty smooth. If there are tufts of grass, for example, the extreme weight of the water will break the foam at those locations if the foam isn't sitting on a smooth surface. For that reason, it's probably a good idea to rake the area and ensure all rocks, roots, tufts of grass, etc., are gone and that the ground is smooth before laying down foam.

[@kellymcrae85]

Good info. I just bought this pool. Do you use chlorine and chemicals or a salt water system?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I use chlorine, not a saltwater system. Pretty easy to keep the chemicals balanced. I use the simple test strips that messure the levels of pH, chlorine, hardness, etc.

[@pandasgames9962]

Encountering a problem with ours, the top ring isn’t connecting did you have any problems with this?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Yes. I think we may have disconnected/loosened the top ring at the opposite location (180 degrees across the circle) of where the struggle was happening. Then we connected both sides simultaneously. Took a little bit of massaging but not a problem with the parts.

[@pandasgames9962]

@@FixEverythingYourself that worked!! Thank you!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Awesome!

[@stevenharmatuk939]

Did you use sand or no the foam was to replace it

[@FixEverythingYourself]

The foam was the only base. I didn't use sand, just put the 1" foam directly on top of the cleared dirt area.

[@sabrinaluffman7271]

Did you backfill around it? Or just leave the gap? The company who leveled my ground done it horribly and it looks like this. Unsure how to fill it back in?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

No, I didn't backfill around it. If the pool is set in a deep hole, backfilling could put too much weight on the side of the pool. But if it's just a small depth, backfilling would be fine. If you have a lot of dirt to move and can't (or don't want to) do it yourself, you might need to call the company again. Shouldn't be a lot of effort to backfill it.

[@L0VEJEN]

Did the tiles crack? Really wanting to use tiles but nervous about that

[@FixEverythingYourself]

No, tiles have been perfect. But what's critical is that the ground is level and compacted very firmly so that the tiles have a solid base to sit on.

[@ZekeThompson-vx7bk]

What was the diameter of the spot you dug out?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I don't remember exactly but it was a few feet wider than the pool, which is 18 feet. Probably about 22 feet.

[@ZekeThompson-vx7bk]

My pool is 16 ft. How deep did you dig?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I tried not to dig down at all, just tried to create a flat spot on a sloped piece of ground. The best way to do it would be to rent a machine with a blade on the front and scrape the ground flat but that costs money that I didn't want to spend.

[@savannah6531]

Can you link to the kind of foam you used please?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Looks like Lowes no longer sells it but here's what I used: www.lowes.com/pd/Dow-Common-1-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-1-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-SCOREBOARD-1-R-5-Faced-Polystyrene-Garage-Door-Foam-Board-Insulation-with-Sound-Barrier/1000171587

[@rickishaeking2685]

is it possible to use the 1/2 inch foam board ?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

You could but I thought it was a little thin and flexible when I considered it. The 1" is so much firmer that I spent the extra few dollars and used that.

[@rickishaeking2685]

@@FixEverythingYourself thank you this is really helpful . I’m starting the process this weekend and I’m a little intimidated to tackle this project alone . I’ve washed several video but I feel like I’m overthink a lot . Your video helped me a lot . Was it certain tile that you used ?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I bought some tiles that were on clearance at Lowes that looked beefy enough to be used here. Also, they didn't have sharp edges like square tiles or bricks might. Then I made sure the ground was flat and compacted underneath the pool (and tiles) so they'd be sitting on firm ground and wouldn't break. Everything on my pool is still holding up well after a year. I upgraded a few things including the pump and a sand filter.

[@liviodelduca9941]

Hi sorry want know what name panels put underground in the floor because I need the name

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I think the brand name of the foam insulation boards was Dow but doesn't look like Lowes sells it anymore, according to their website. That seems odd to me so I'd check what Lowes has or what they replaced it with.

[@liviodelduca9941]

@@FixEverythingYourself thanks very much

[@FixEverythingYourself]

YW

[@brentonkiaaina9985]

Was looking at getting Bestway but reviews all over the place. How’s it holding up?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Mine is great. Used it all summer with no problems. Pump works fine but I've been careful to clean the filter and, maybe more importantly, shutting off the water to the pump and emptying the water from the pump during freezing weather. I know someone whose pump cracked due to the water freezing.

[@brentonkiaaina9985]

@@FixEverythingYourself I was going to install saltwater pump

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Good. This pump is tiny and cheap. But it lasted all summer for me.

[@MsQ9677]

​@Fix Everything Yourself Do you keep your pool up Year- Round? We're installing a Bestway 18x48 tomorrow. We had an above ground metal pool from American Sales for 24 years. Of course, that one stayed up year-round. By the way we live in Indiana, brutal winters.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Yes, it's up year-round but too cold to swim in the winter, of course. Before winter arrives, It's VERY IMPORTANT to drain the water from the pump so that the freezing temperatures don't cause the water inside to freeze, expand, and crack the pump. Otherwise, ours was fine all winter long.

[@thepjpodcast]

What chemicals did you put in your pool to keep it clean and how often do you clean it

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I use chlorine and algae killer. Chlorine is the main thing. Liquid chlorine from Lowes works well. I need to buy a vacuum that will clean debris off the floor; that's my next purchase.

[@davidandbrandee]

How big of a hole did you end up digging out? We're putting together the same pool soon.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Our hole was 20 feet diameter but because of the slope of the yard, it would've been nice to have made it a little larger, just to have more room to maneuver when putting parts together.

[@davidandbrandee]

@@FixEverythingYourself Thanks for the quick response! Hope you're enjoying your pool!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

You're welcome! Pool is great. Well worth the effort to put it up. Actually sitting poolside as I type this reply!

[@marcianorris6147]

Thank you for posting this. I makes it so much easier for me.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

You're welcome!

[@JasonSipe16]

Great video. Thanks!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks!

[@jaykingthoughts]

I’m curious, Sam’s have the 18x48 on sale for $400. How much should I expect to pay someone to install?

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Hmmm, that's an interesting question. The hardest part of the whole job is getting a level, smooth surface for the pool. If it's not level, the water will be uneven and too much pressure will be on the walls of the pool. If the ground isn't smooth, it can puncture the pool liner. To protect against that, either new sand can be spread across the ground for the pool to sit on or one can use foam boards like I have. Sand is probably $300; the foam was about $200. Back to your first question: excluding leveling the ground and the cost of sand or foam, I'd expect it to take two people about 2-3 hours to set up. Then filling it with water takes a day or two. To have someone do everything, I'd bet it would cost $1,000 plus sand or foam. If there's a lot of leveling required (sloped ground), expect to pay $400 for a rented machine, plus a couple hours labor.

[@jaykingthoughts]

Hey man that’s some great info you shared, very much appreciated! I’m watching a bunch of videos and yours is very helpful for what I’m trying to invest in long term. Thanks again

[@FixEverythingYourself]

You're welcome!

[@jaykingthoughts]

Welp!! I need a whole entire outlet unit outback 🤦 I could use extension cord from kitchen to gfci but…… the wife’s not gonna like that. My experience with the above ground sucks so far lol

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Do you have any electrical outlets outside? If so, convert one to a GFCI and run an extension cord from there.

[@krewederoux]

Hello. What type of tile and size did you buy. This a great idea. Our pool should be in this week. Had an INTEX before and never knew to worry about ground level. This should be fun.

[@FixEverythingYourself]

The tiles were just some ones that were on clearance that looked like they'd work. Nothing special. Perhaps I'd recognize them if I was in the store but maybe not. I think any solid tile will work if the ground is reasonably smooth and compacted beneath it. Good luck!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

BTW, I bought them at Lowes.

[@BEARDED_VATO]

@@FixEverythingYourselfhow many?

[@RubenMartinezJrLaMaquina11]

San Antonio Spurs!!!! Yeah!!!

[@FixEverythingYourself]

😄👍

[@toniadams3783]

You climbed in the pool to flatten it? Man this thing is heavy😂 I cant imagine adding water to try and smooth it out and that's where I'm at right now

[@FixEverythingYourself]

I had helpers. Basically, you need to keep pulling at the sides (near the bottom) to straighten out the bottom. The small amount of water is to create a little lubrication to spread out any remaining wrinkles. But the primary method is by pulling from one side, then another, then another location, etc., to get the bottom flat.

[@phixit4778]

Excellent excellent job

[@FixEverythingYourself]

Thanks!